Hong Kong
Bestseller! Hong Kong is known as a thriving business center with
tightly packed high rise buildings and a frenetic stressful pace. Yet
Hong Kong has a greener, more tranquil side: forty per cent of the
land area is country park, a higher ratio than any other global
metropolis. And even the most remote parts are seldom
more than a couple of hours from the confines of the city. Martin
Williams leads you on 23 day trips, to rugged hills, forested valleys,
reservoirs and waterfalls, temples and villages, abandoned forts and
delightful islands. This pocket-sized, newly revised edition features
24 maps and 16 pages of color photographs.
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After initial advice on what to wear and take with you, and on Hong
Kong’s public transport system, Martin Williams introduces a walk that
winds round and down the western hills of Hong Kong Island from the
upper Peak Tram station. He then describes two more walks that cross
Hong Kong Island's hilltops with superb views of the city and it's
jungled backdrop. The second of these snakes over a ridge before
dropping down to charming Shek O village on Hong Kong Island’s wild
east coast. |
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| Next come Hong Kong's other major islands. There’s
Tung Lung, with its lonely old fort, and cliffs favoured by climbers.
Lamma, Cheung Chau and Peng Chau have thriving villages, as well as
fine rural trails. On Lantau, Hong Kong’s largest island, Martin
enjoys some tremendous hikes – including one that starts near the
famed Big Buddha, and another in the beautiful yet little known
southwest section of the island. |
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| Martin then describes eleven outings in the hills
and mountains north and east of Kowloon, paradoxically one of the
world's most densely populated urban areas. Here, too, he finds
immense variety – sauntering to a tiny village preserved as a museum,
climbing to spectacular, craggy summits and spectacular waterfalls,
watching birds in dense sub-tropical forest, and heading to expansive
beaches in a bay fringed by abandoned fields and ringed by hills and
headlands. |
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| Before closing with a walk among the peaks of
northeastern Hong Kong island, Martin heads out to Ping Chau, a tiny
islet that is little more than a stone's throw from the beaches of
mainland China. It’s a relaxed place, ideal for chilling out, and
feeling far, far away from the city. |
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| Sharing some of his own experiences – yet always
careful to indicate important trail junctions – Martin provides
alternative routes, some of which involve shortcuts, some making for
longer hikes; he also mentions the occasional simple restaurants. His
aim is not just to help you get out and about in rural Hong Kong, but
to ensure as much as possible you’ll enjoy yourself while doing so. |
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He has succeeded. Small enough to make a pocket
companion, Hong Kong Pathfinder is Hong Kong's most popular
walking guide. Now in it's seventh edition.
Critics Comments
"Initial impressions of Hong Kong are deceptive. In
this ultimate crowded business capital – where every spare inch of
land seems to be exploited for some purpose – it can be hard to
believe that any space is left for those who wish to enjoy fresh air
and unspoilt countryside. Yet Hong Kong’s towering skyline and massive
land reclamation projects disguise the fact that around 40% of the
land is country park, containing walks which offer peaceful getaways
from the frenetic pace of city life....
"[This] is a competently-produced guide. Maps and
clear instructions on Hong Kong’s extensive public transport system
tell the day-tripper how to get to his/her chosen route, provide
detail on the length of each walk and an estimation of the time each
one should take. A variety of routes of different lengths end degrees
of difficulty are covered.
"A deceptively mundane front cover hides how good
the book actually is. The author, Martin Williams, is a lover of
nature and an obsessive birdwatcher, arid his enthusiasm for the
natural environment is reflected in the text. Descriptions of rattling
cicadas and birds of prey invoke vivid Images of Hong Kong’s diverse
flora and fauna, which exist, largely ignored, only a short distance
from the towering skyscrapers of the city.
"He also possesses a wealth of knowledge about the
history of the Territory which injects colour into the description of
each route. The end result is more an evocative description of the
kind of experience the walker can expect on each of the routes: from
roller-coaster bus journeys just getting there, to stumbling across
monks in quiet contemplation or the thrill of seeing birds of prey
circling overhead.
"Often guides of this
nature turn out to be adequate, but hardly interesting. This one,
however, contains all the necessary facts and information on how to
get yourself into the Hong Kong countryside, and is a good read as
well."
Action
Asia
"Martin Williams proves a
briskly honest hiker in Hong Kong Pathfinder....No frothy
ramblings about the glories of country parks or stupendous views from
distant peaks here. Mr Williams is not in the market to analyse
whether the trek to the top was worth it or not; he leaves that to the
reader. Blots on the landscape are registered as he strides firmly
past, a cursory wry remark putting them firmly in their place within
the greener, cleaner side of Hong Kong. The pragmatic guide gives the
nitty-gritty on getting there, points out landmarks, tells you which
fork in the road to take, where you’ll find your next Fanta and when
to prime yourself for the aural assault of caged dogs. A boon to
neophyte ramblers in Hong Kong and a handy reference for old hiking
hands, the guide is published by Asia 2000....and available from most
good bookshops in the territory."
Discovery
Readers Comments
"Dear Dr Williams,
"I thought I'd take five minutes to write and
congratulate you...My father lives on Cheung Chau and I was lucky
enough to spend five weeks with him....While I was here, I bought your
Pathfinder book and did the Dragon's Back walk among others.
The walk was very difficult in the heat, but most enjoyable. The walk
on Cheung Chau was also very interesting. I like the way in which your
book combines local interest with the instructions for the walk.
"Your book helped us have a very interesting and
fantastic stay in Hong Kong.
"Best regards,
Vicky Anderson"
Extract
Copyright © Martin
Williams
Related Links
Trip Planning - Hong Kong 2002
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